Rest for the Wicked
by VonGikkingen
Summary: Dorothy is expected to take over Oz as its new ruler, but uncertain whether that is the future she wants. She's contacted by one of the few people who can understand what ruling Oz means - the not-quite-so-wicked Witch of the West.


Dorothy jumped when she heard that voice. She learned long time ago to associate it with danger… She slowly turned to see where the witch's voice was coming from.

"I should have known this would happen…" said Zelena with something like pity. "They pressured you into taking the job, didn't they?"

Dorothy was too amazed by what she was seeing to answer. The witch wasn't in the room with her, of course. It was the reflection of her in a clearly enchanted mirror that was talking. And that wasn't the strangest thing about it either. Looking at her, Dorothy didn't see the familiar monster that was the Wicked Witch – she saw a woman she met only briefly, long time ago. Her skin was the furthest thing from green and… and there was an infant in her arms.

"I should have checked up on you earlier. You really should not be in that room. That's where he kept his trinkets. All sorts of nasty magic... I hope you didn't touch anything."

"He…? You mean the Wizard?" asked Dorothy looking around at the strange objects all around her, finally understanding the unpleasant feeling this room always gave her.

"He never had enough respect for magic," said Zelena somewhat regretfully and smiled down at the child in her arms. Giving Dorothy a moment to realize just how strange this situation really was. The almost friendly tone of warning the witch was using… that was strange to say the least, considering how their last conversation went.

"You don't seem surprised I'm awake," she realized suddenly.

"Of course not. I try to keep an eye on things back home…"

"Home?"

Use of that word actually made Dorothy laugh. Though she was a creature of another world and spent only very little time in Oz, she was the one willing to fight for it, while the witch that lived there her whole life abused her power over the land whenever it suited her.

"Perhaps that's not the right word," admitted Zelena seeing Dorothy's expression. "Home is where the heart is… And it's high time the Emerald city was ruled by someone who actually kept theirs in Oz."

That was too much for Dorothy. Before she could stop herself she asked "What happened to you?"

The witch laughed – not the usual nasty laugh people of Oz were familiar with, but genuine and actually quite musical laughter that conveyed real amusement.

"Besides the obvious?" she said, looking at the child in her arms. Her eyes showed emotion Dorothy never thought her capable of. "Do you have time for a long story…?"

"I don't know. I'm supposed to be cleaning up the place – but since it's full of scary magic and I better not touch any of it…" she answered, only the tiniest bit sarcastically.

"I found my true love," said the witch, her tone conveying it was less of a happy ending than she imagined it would be. "I learned that it doesn't miraculously fix all your problems. It might just make them worse…"

She spoke a great deal them, shocking Dorothy more and more with each revelation. She found herself both pitying and grudgingly admiring someone who she always considered a tyrant and an enemy. The Wicked Witch – the monster no one in Oz felt quite safe from even after she left the land to pursue her vengeance – didn't seem to have anything in common with the woman Dorothy saw in front of her.

She realized there was nothing she could say when Zelena finished her story. She just stood in front of the enchanted mirror shaking her head in disbelief. And though she knew she shouldn't believe the witch changed so dramatically in such a short period of time there was a part of her that knew what she saw - and seeing was believing. Zelena was still a witch, certainly, but not one that could be summed up in a single word anymore.

"Why are you contacting me now?" she asked in the end, more than a little curious.

"Because I was worried you'll end up giving in to them. You have the love of the people, after all. I just wanted to make sure you know that doesn't mean you can't refuse them anything. Is the big shiny palace and a kingdom to rule what you really want?"

Dorothy found herself ignoring the answer she felt she was supposed to give. There was too much honest concern in those words to just say the obvious thing… the obvious lie…

"I don't know. The kingdom needs a ruler and the people…"

"The people love you. That doesn't give them the right to write your story for you. You've done enough for Oz," said Zelena.

"Someone needs to take over. Clean this place up if nothing else. It's full of magic – people can get hurt if they touch something they're not supposed to…" she shrugged.

"That much is true. But you're no expert. You could use a witch to help you with that particular task. Don't be alarmed," laughed Zelena seeing Dorothy's expression. "I should have said you could use a _good witch_ …"

Understanding what that meant she took a step closer to the mirror reflecting another land. "I thought you exiled her."

"What I did I can undo," shrugged Zelena. "Though the way things are here I probably shouldn't waste magic."

"There's no need," said Dorothy pointing down at the silver slippers on her feet. "Not all magic around here is dangerous."

"No," said Zelena. But then her expression grew serious. "But so much _is_ magic. That's Oz for you. And if it's ruled by a powerful magic user again things might never change. I'm not trying to change your mind about taking the throne," explained Zelena. "I'm just… wondering. Maybe it might be better for the land if there was a different kind of ruler for a change. You should bring Glinda home, there's no question. But don't just give her that kind of power. Power corrupts. No one stays good forever."

"Or wicked," said Dorothy.

Zelena only smiled, clearly finally seeing how strange this whole conversation was. But before her reflection left the surface of the mirror, she told Dorothy everything she needed to know to find Glinda again. The least she could do, she said, but even as she said it they both knew it for the promise it was. If there was a problem, if there was need for magic, there was a witch to call upon. Maybe not a good witch - but one willing to help, to try to repay the people of Oz for the years of fear and desperation they suffered under her rule.

"Goodbye," she said, even though Zelena could no longer hear her. It wasn't Zelena she was really saying goodbye to.

Now that she saw what happened to the witch, saw with her own eyes that the threat to Oz was gone forever she finally could say goodbye to the part of herself that was always expected to fight. There was no one to fight anymore. A sigh of relief escaped her as she left the room with all its magic trinkets behind. She didn't feel like doing anything about them just yet. This wasn't how she wanted to spend her days, now that she finally had a choice.


End file.
